Local chefs will face off in a free 'blind box' cooking event at the Athens Farmers Market

Andrew Shearer, Athens Banner-Herald
·2 min read
This photo from 2019 shows Puma Yu's chef Pete Amadhanirundr preparing a dish for the Athens Farmers Market's first annual Sliced! cooking competition. Amadhanirundr won the event and will return to compete in Saturday's event.
This photo from 2019 shows Puma Yu's chef Pete Amadhanirundr preparing a dish for the Athens Farmers Market's first annual Sliced! cooking competition. Amadhanirundr won the event and will return to compete in Saturday's event.

Athens is well-known for its live music shows, but a few of its culinary stars are expected to draw a big crowd when the Athens Farmers Market's annual Sliced! competition resumes Saturday after a two-year hiatus.

The free event is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at Bishop Park under the covered pavilion area (rain or shine) and seating will be provided as well as handicap-access. The cooking will start at 9:30 a.m. and will feature ingredients from the Farmers Market.

In case you missed it: Athens chef to be featured on episode of Food Network competition series

Blazing their own trail: Meet the star women pitmasters of Georgia barbecue

What those ingredients are will remain a mystery until chefs Pete Amadhanirundr (Puma Yu’s), Daniel Fetter (The National) and Nikolas Partridge (Mouthfeel) open their "blind boxes" in front of the viewing audience, where they will spend the next hour preparing a dish using the secret contents.

Amadhanirundr will be returning to defend his title win from the inaugural 2019 Sliced! competition, which was attended by more than 3,000, according to an email from Athens Farmers Market manager Abigail Darwin.

"The chefs were chosen primarily as people who have done cooking demos at the Athens Farmers Market in the past and work at restaurants that prioritize local, seasonal ingredients," said Darwin. "We were mindful to select chefs from different cooking styles, training and backgrounds to represent the breadth of local food."

Though Amadhanirundr, Fetter and Partridge will have no advance knowledge of what they'll be cooking at the event, they will be provided with the competition rules, available kitchen gadgets, pots and pans and a list of basic pantry items such as grains, spices, oils and other essentials.

Athens Restaurant Week: What can you get for $10 (or less)? Here are a few options.

Photo gallery: 15 years of the Athens Farmers Market: A reflection from local farmers

The panel of judges will include Terri Silva (Hi-Lo Lounge, Little Kings Shuffle Club), Landon Bubb (Flagpole Magazine), Caitlin Wilson (Creature Comforts Brewing Co.), Madelyn Johns (Hickory Hill Farm) and Sliced! emcee Kate White. The judges will taste each dish and vote for the winner, but food samples will not be available for the audience.

The victorious chef will receive a Staub cast iron tomato cocotte, a cutting board made and donated to the Athens Farmers Market by locally-based Grands Designs Woodworks and what Darwin described as a "fabulous prize pack."

"It gives me the utmost joy to bring the market, our farmers, and local businesses and chefs together in a fun and exciting way," said Athens Farmers Market assistant manager and Sliced! planner Esther Kim. "The last (event) was a huge success."

For additional information, visit athensfarmersmarket.net.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Sliced! 'blind box' cooking competition to feature Athens, GA chefs